Fantastic Four – D&D 5e NPC/Monster Builds

Previously, I shared my Avengers character builds and now we have another super hero team releasing a movie this summer. The Fantastic Four are a fictional superhero team that debuted way back in 1961. After a couple of so-so movies, the Fantastic Four are back on the silver screen this summer. I was really excited about this movie since I liked the director’s film Chronicle and I read and loved all the Ultimate Fantastic Four comics that the movie was said to be based on. I’m going to make my own decision once I see the movie, but the movie has been overwhelmingly negatively reviewed and is a box office disaster. I was thinking it would be fun to build out this family of heroes as an entire team of NPCs/monsters instead of hero PCs. The Fantastic Four are good aligned, but a misunderstanding could turn a social encounter with them into full combat (just like most meet-ups between heroes the first time in comics). So let’s get started, “it’s clobberin’ time“.

I just wanted to mention that Fantastic Four director Josh Trank’s “fantastic version” of these monsters was better than 99% of the monsters out there, but we’ll just have to settle for these builds like audiences had to settle for the movie that showed up on screen.

I built these monsters to be played in a historic period, since the Fantastic Four love to travel across time and dimensions (but these could be easily adapted for modern times). The group were heavily featured in the Marvel 1602 series as the Fantastick Four, Grimm was Blackbeard the Pirate a storyline and the Richards recently took their children to visit Julius Caesar in the comic. Building PCs in D&D with their specific unique abilities using races such as genasi and classes like sorcerer or monk would be quite a challenge to get right. I thought creating monsters inspired by these heroes might be a fun little exercise and these are not meant to be 100% true to their movie or comic book versions. I set these builds to have a Challenge Rating of 4, but I’ll need to playtest these builds sometime soon to know how hard they are to fight.

Actions

Wrapped Up. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft ., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the target is Medium or smaller (and Mister Fantastic is not currently grappling a creature) it is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained.

Reactions

Elastic Dodge (Recharge 5-6). Mister Fantastic can stretch, twist and re-shape his body to inhuman proportions to protect himself and adds 3 to his AC against one attack that would hit. Mister Fantastic must see the attacker.

Actions

Superior Invisibility. Using her mind to bend all wavelengths of light, the Invisible Woman turns invisible until concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell). Any equipment the Invisible Woman wears or carries is invisible.

Multiattack. The Invisible Woman makes two attacks with Psionic Construct.

Psionic Construct. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, ranged 30 ft./60 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) force damage. The Invisible Woman can make this attack when 5 ft. from an attacker with no penalty. This attack takes the form of an invisible construct in the shape of a sphere.

Psionic Darts (Range 120 ft). The Invisible Woman fires four invisible darts. Each dart hits a creature of her choice that she can see within range. A dart deals 6 (1d4+4) force damage. The darts all strike simultaneously, and she can direct them at one or multiple creatures.

Psionic Wave. The Invisible Woman charges up her psionic power and releases a huge blast of invisible force energy. Each creature in a 15 ft sphere from her must make a Strength saving throw (DC 15). On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 force damage and is pushed 10 ft. away from her. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed.

Reactions

Psionic Force Field (Recharges 5-6). The Invisible Woman can create a force field to protect herself or an ally, adding 3 to the targets AC against one attack that would hit. The Invisible Woman must see the attacker.

Flame On. The Human Torch has the power to project fire from his body and can turn this power on and off at-will. A creature that touches the Human Torch or hits him with a melee attack while within 5 ft. of him takes 5 (1d10) fire damage.

Fire Absorption. Whenever the Human Torch is subjected to fire damage, he takes no damage and regains a number of hit points equal to the fire damage dealt.

Illumination. The human torch sheds bright light in a 10 ft. radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet when his flame on is active.

Hard as a Rock. The Thing’s rocky skin has resistance against non magical piercing, slashing and bludgeoning damage.

Clobbering Time. If the Thing moves at least 30 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a melee attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the Thing can make one punch attack against it as a bonus action.

Actions

Multiattack. The Thing makes two punch attacks if he is not grappling a creature.

Looking for an evil monster?

The Fantastic Four share their origin story with an excellent villain named Victor Von Doom. What more could you ask for? Doctor Doom is an excellent BBEG (Big Bad Evil Guy) and you could team up with the Fantastic Four against him (once you are done beating each other senseless). You might also want to look at Namor or the Silver Surfer too.

I’ll leave the creation of Doctor Doom to all of you. If you do create a Doctor Doom share your build with us.

Have fun and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Shawn is an author and co-founder of Tribality.com. He first got into tabletop RPGs through ninjas and then by playing a Kender in Dragonlance. Years later, he can be found running games in the Nentir Vale and his own Seas of Vodari campaign setting.